Tennis -Warwickshire Ladies face title cruncher

Jul 25 2008 By Sally Jones

WARWICKSHIRE women were edged out 5-4 by their old rivals Surrey and now need an outright victory over Hertfordshire today to regain the Inter-County Tennis Group 1 title they last won in 2006.

Despite the loss, they still head the leaderboard just ahead of Herts, who also have three wins and a loss but are behind on rubbers, so whichever side wins will claim the title.

The top Surrey partnership of Cristelle Fox and the seasoned veteran Michelle Oldham proved a class act, winning all three rubbers in straight sets.

Warwickshire’s top pairing Hannah Grady, from Coventry, and Solihull’s Leyla Ogan won their other two rubbers but with the match evenly balanced at 4-4, their second pair Luisa Cowper and Louise Latimer lost to the Surrey seconds in two tight sets.

The Warwickshire thirds, teenagers Aimee Jarrett and Anjoli Foster, making her County Week debut, saved two match points before defeating their opposite numbers Annabel Bann and Philippa Coates 7-5 in a marathon decider.

During the match, Jarrett twice had to leave the court because of sickness and sunstroke but battled on gamely to a famous victory.

She was too dizzy and exhausted afterwards to continue, so Warwickshire were forced to concede the thirds’ other two rubbers.

If Jarrett is fully recovered, the hugely experienced captain Katie Shaw will probably partner her at third pair for the showdown against Hertfordshire who have three solid pairs.

Warwickshire men squeaked through to record a narrow 5-4 victory over Dorset in Group II at Cromer.

It all came down to the final rubber between the second pairs and there was delight when Nathan Rooney and James Southwood held their nerve in a second set tiebreak to bring Gary Naughton’s side to the brink of a place in Group 1 next season.

Warwickshire, with just one loss, are lying second in the table and victory today over strugglers Buckinghamshire, who have yet to win a match, would guarantee promotion after more than a decade out of the top flight.